The Life of Pablo
The Life of Pablo is the seventh studio album by American rapper Kanye West, released in 2016 on GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions took place from 2013 to 2016, in Italy, Mexico, Canada and the United States. Record production on the album was handled by West alongside a variety of producers such as Mike Dean, Madlib, Metro Boomin, Rick Rubin, Hudson Mohawke, Swizz Beatz, Havoc and Boi-1da. West also enlisted a wide array of guest vocalists, including Kendrick Lamar, Desiigner, Kid Cudi, Chance the Rapper, Rihanna, Frank Ocean, and The-Dream. The Life of Pablo was preceded by several promotional singles as part of West's GOOD Fridays giveaways, including the tracks "Real Friends" and "No More Parties in LA". In the months before its release, the album's title and track list went through several publicised changes, and West's often-erratic activity on social media became the source of several high-profile controversies. An early version of the album was premiered by West on 11 February 2016 at Madison Square Garden in New York as part of his Yeezy Season 3 fashion show in collaboration with Adidas. After several additions sessions and alterations, the album was launched exclusively through the streaming service Tidal three days later. Following the official streaming release of The Life of Pablo, West continued to make changes to the album, describing it as "a living breathing changing creative expression" and declaring the end of the album as a dominant release form. Def Jam confirmed his intention to continue working on the album over the subsequent months. A largely updated version of the album, which included alternate mixes and other changes, was made available on other streaming services and for digital purchase on West's website on 1 April 2016; no official physical version of the album is planned. The Life of Pablo was supported by the singles "Famous", "Father Stretch My Hands" and "Fade". The Life of Pablo received positive reviews from critics, with particular attention drawn to the fragmented, unfinished nature of its composition and release. Following Tidal's disclosure of its streaming data an the album's release to competing streaming services, The Life of Pablo debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, becoming West's seventh consecutive number one album on the chart and the first album to reach the summit primarily through streaming. In April 2017, The Life of Pablo became the first streaming only album to go platinum, becoming West's eight platinum album. It was named among the best albums of 2016 by miltiple publications, and was nominated for Best Rap Song at the 2017 Grammy Awards, while both "Ultralight Beam" and "Famous" were nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song. Track listing Category:2016 albums Category:Kanye West albums Category:Albums produced by Boi-1da Category:Albums produced by Havoc Category:Albums produced by Kanye West Category:Albums produced by Madlib Category:Albums produced by Mike Dean Category:Albums produced by Metro Boomin Category:Albums produced by Plain Pat Category:Albums produced by Rick Rubin Category:Albums produced by Swizz Beatz Category:Def Jam Recordings albums Category:GOOD Music albums Category:Article stubs